Draft: Zhang Yujia
On October 1, 2019, in Beijing's Tiananmen Square, to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China, a huge portrait of Comrade Deng Xiaoping appeared in the parade surrounded by the masses. China Youth Daily, China Youth Network reporter Li Junhui / photo
Draft: Zhang Yujia
The 13th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, held on October 25, 1987, set the tone for China's future path of reform.
From the mid-to-late 1980s to the early 1990s, it was a special period of China's economic and social evolution, with the transformation of the old and new systems and the acceleration of reform.
The report of the Thirteenth National Congress outlined the basic outline of socialism with Chinese characteristics, pointed out the basic line of "one center, two basic points", and clarified the road map and timetable for reform, opening up and socialist modernization. The report particularly emphasizes that "reform is the only way out to revitalize China, which is the aspiration of the people, the trend of the times, and irreversible."
There were 1,936 official delegates and 61 specially invited delegates, representing more than 46 million party members across the country. There are also hundreds of journalists from all over the world who are watching and discussing a central topic, "reform."
"Reform, openness and transparency are the basic characteristics of the 13th Party Congress." Ma Junjun, a reporter for the China Youth Daily who was interviewing the 13th Party Congress at the same time, recalled the meeting: "This is also the first time that China has such a 'new posture' after smashing the 'Gang of Four', and Deng Xiaoping has stepped onto the international political stage as the chief architect of reform and opening up, telling the world about China's posture." ”
The trans-century "three-step approach" of the "giant ship"
"China is like a giant ship sailing on the vast ocean, and this giant ship is sailing to the other side of the beautiful shore one by one by constantly formulating new strategic goals and constantly promoting the realization of strategic goals." Yan Yilong, an associate researcher at Tsinghua University's Institute of National Conditions, once described China's several plans.
The "three-step" strategy proposed by the 13th National Congress is the first cross-century plan since the founding of New China. Prior to this, China's "four modernizations" strategy proposed in 1964 was only planned until the end of the 20th century.
On December 6, 1979, Japanese Prime Minister Masayoshi Ohira, who was visiting China, asked Deng Xiaoping: What does it mean for China to realize the four modernizations at the end of this century?
After pondering for a moment, Deng Xiaoping replied: The four modernizations we want to achieve are the four modernizations of the Chinese style. Even by the end of the century, the average national income was low. To reach the level of the richer countries in the third world, such as the average national income of 1,000 US dollars, we also have to make a lot of effort. Even if it reaches that level, it is still backward compared with the West. "All I can say is that China is still in a well-off state."
This is the first time that China has put forward the goal of moderate prosperity. Later, Deng Xiaoping considered that by the end of the 20th century Chinese would grow to 1.2 billion, the gross national product would quadruple to about $1 trillion, and the per capita gross national product would be a little more than $800. Deng Xiaoping specially explained the "moderately prosperous society": "The so-called moderately well-off means that by the end of this century, the per capita gross national product will reach 800 US dollars. He repeatedly stressed that this goal is not high, but it has reached the level of the richer countries in the third world, which is still backward compared with the developed countries.
It is not difficult to see from the adjustment of the plan that the situation of China's economic development made Deng Xiaoping have confidence. By 1984, he had set his sights on the middle of the next century, forming an initial "two-step approach": a trillion dollars was a good foundation, "on this basis, another 30 to 50 years of development, and strive to be close to the level of the world's developed countries."
Statistics show that in 1987, compared with the early days of reform and opening up, the gross national product, the gross industrial output, the state fiscal revenue, and the average income level of urban and rural residents roughly doubled. As of the 13th National Congress, the nine years from 1978 to 1987 became the period of the most vigorous economic development, the fastest growth of national strength, and the greatest improvement of people's lives since the founding of New China.
On April 30, 1987, when Deng Xiaoping met with Spanish Deputy Prime Minister Gera, he systematically expounded for the first time the "three-step" strategy for China's modernization drive. Based on a per capita GDP of $250 in 1980, the first step was to double to $500 in the 1980s. The second step is to double it again by the end of this century to $1,000 and enter a "moderately prosperous society." More importantly, the third step is to quadruple in 30 to 50 years in the next century, roughly reaching $4,000 per capita. By doing this, China will reach the level of a moderately developed country. The "three-step" concept was formally established in the form of a document in the 13th Party Congress.
Without accumulating steps, there are no thousands of miles. In the view of Zheng Yongnian, director of the Institute of East Asian Studies at the National University of Singapore, the reason why the CCP has been able to continuously formulate long-term development plans is because the CCP is not only a ruling party, but also a mission party.
All work must proceed from this reality
Where is China on the axis of socialism? There are different points of view on this issue.
Economist Feng Lanrui said at the theoretical retreat held by the Central Committee in 1978 that from the time the proletariat took power to the arrival of the advanced stage of communism, the development of society must go through several stages; China is currently in the stage of underdeveloped socialism. At the end of 1959, Mao Zedong also spoke about this concept in a conversation in Hangzhou on a collective reading of the Soviet Union's "Political Economy Textbook".
After the Third Plenary Session of the Eleventh Central Committee, the economist Dong Fureng once called China in a "transitional period from capitalist society to socialist society"; Yu Guangyuan, then head of the Political Research Office of the State Council, believed that the "primary stage of socialism" should be used; Ye Jianying pointed out in 1979 that "the socialist system is still in its infancy" and "to achieve modernization in our country, there must be a process from primary to advanced."
Some controversy has gradually emerged. Some people believe that our country has now established a socialist society and belongs to the initial stage of communist society. There are also those who deny the necessity of adhering to socialism and the establishment of a socialist system in our country.
In fact, the expression "the primary stage of socialism" appeared before the Twelfth National Congress, but it was in the foil position. In late October 1986, the drafting group of the thirteenth national report held theoretical forums in Beijing. Yu Guangyuan emphasized: "What stage of development we are in has always been the most important issue. It is time to point out that China is in the primary stage of socialism, and it is necessary to clarify the characteristics of the primary stage. ”
A few months later, Deng Xiaoping clearly pointed out: "Socialism itself is the primary stage of communism, and China is in the primary stage of socialism, that is, the stage of underdevelopment." Everything starts from this reality... The Thirteenth National Congress should formulate plans based on this reality. ”
This reality is related to "what is socialism and how to build socialism." Before the Third Plenary Session of the Eleventh Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, there was a period of hot-headedness and wanted to "run into communism" and suffered huge losses and disasters caused by being divorced from reality. Taking history as a mirror, the actual national conditions of Chinese, such as having a large number of mouths and a weak foundation, backward productive forces and unbalanced development, and the immature and imperfect economic and political systems must be squarely faced.
The Thirteenth National Congress pointed out that the primary stage of socialism in our country is a stage of gradually getting rid of poverty and getting rid of backwardness... It is the stage of establishing and developing a vibrant socialist economic, political, and cultural system through reform and exploration; it is the stage in which the whole people rise up, work hard to start a business, and realize the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. "All work must proceed from this reality, and cannot go beyond this stage."
"The primary stage of socialism is the greatest national condition and the greatest reality in contemporary China." Since the 18th National Congress, General Secretary Xi Jinping has repeatedly stressed that it is necessary to base ourselves on this and plan for the long term.
Reform is the main theme
The 13th National Congress formulated the basic guidelines and action plan for further opening up and invigorating, and for the first time put forward new concepts such as "all-round opening up", "open pattern" and "export-oriented economy", showing the world China's posture of firm reform and opening up.
In Deng Xiaoping's view, the 13th Party Congress also had to do one thing that was "not easy, but it must be done", that is, as the economic system reform deepened, the reform of the political system was put on the agenda. Reform the government working organs and the cadre personnel system, further decentralize power, "the party leads everything, do not do everything." To make a machine, a choir, each can not do its own thing."
At the beginning of the reform of the political system, in Dandong City, Liaoning Province, located on the northeast border of China, some grass-roots units once conducted public opinion polls, and 98% of the people raised their hands in favor. However, once the reform touched the vital interests, some people became uneasy and dissatisfied.
Liu Zhongwen, a deputy to the 13th Party Congress at that time and secretary of the Dandong Municipal CPC Committee, told Ma Junjun that the change of people's concepts was the primary prerequisite for the smooth development of the reform of the political system. "Straightening out people's minds is far more difficult than coming up with a beautiful and moving reform plan."
When talking about the specific practices of institutional reform, Liu Zhongwen said: On the one hand, we must tell people that reform is a difficult and complicated process, and reform requires breaking the altar jars and paying certain sacrifices; on the other hand, it is necessary to establish first and then break down, and practice to cultivate people is much more solid and rapid than relying on preaching to cultivate people.
Practice has proved that the reform of establishing first and breaking later can make people break the boat and stimulate greater upward momentum.
As far as the reform of the political system is concerned, a major task that must be done is to gradually rejuvenate the leadership of the party and the state, promote and train thousands of middle-aged and young cadres, ensure the vitality of the party and the state, and escort the reform tasks.
Song Defu, then first secretary of the Secretariat of the CYL Central Committee, once told Ma Junjun that the party and the people always pinned their greatest hopes on the vigorous and progressive youth representing the future.
Looking back at the course of reform and opening up over the past 30 years, the work report of the 13th National Congress proposed to build a prosperous, strong, democratic, and civilized socialist modern country; by the time of the 17th National Congress, the word "harmony" was added to the national blueprint, and by the 19th National Congress, the word "beautiful" was added, and "modern country" was also moving further towards "modern power."
"The literal changes are put into practice, and the changes brought about by the reform are clearly visible." Ma Junjun sighed, "What kind of posture China will stand in the east of the world is such a posture."
China Youth Daily, China Youth Network trainee reporter Zhang Yi Yin Xining Source: China Youth Daily ( 2021-03-30 03 edition)
Source: China Youth Daily